Problems of Forensic Sciences 2019 Vol. 119 (CXIX) 225-239
DETERMINATION OF BILASTINE IN BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL – ANALYSIS OF A FATAL CASE
Joanna GIEROŃ
Institute of Forensic Research, Kraków, Poland
Streszczenie
Bilastine is a potent and highly selective H1-antihistamine approved for the treatment of allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and urticaria. The increasing incidence of allergic diseases has resulted in an intensive search for new drugs with minimal side effects. Bilastine is generally well tolerated, even when administered at above therapeutic doses. This drug has been sold in Poland as a second-generation antihistamine since 2010. In 2016 the first case of determination of bilastine in biological material was recorded at the Institute of Forensic Research in Krakow. This article presents the blood, urine and tissue concentrations of bilastine. Liquid-liquid extraction was applied for the isolation of bilastine from biological materials. Analyses were carried out in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. As a result of the analyses, bilastine was determined at concentrations of 335 ng/mL in blood, and 433 ng/mL in urine, as well as 4600 ng/mL and 6700 ng/g in stomach decomposition fluid and tissue respectively, and 560 ng/mL and 245 ng/g in liver decomposition fluid and tissue, respectively. Very limited literature data and lack of information on therapeutic, toxic and lethal concentrations mean that bilastine should be determined in forensic cases in order to estimate these values and simplify further data interpretations.
Słowa kluczowe
Antihistamines; Post-mortem concentration; Bilastine; LC-MS/MS; Blood analysis.